Cine-files: Ritzy, Brixton, London

More than just a hipster oasis in the heart of Brixton, this five-screen cinema does its best to serve the whole community with a blend of mainstream, arthouse and political fare
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On location: The early 20th-century edifice of this lovely old institution sits on the corner of Coldharbour Lane and Brixton High Street. Its cafe and bar spill out on to the recently done-up Windrush Square, customers and idling locals mingling under its spotlit central tree. While there's little parking, it's a minute away from Brixton tube on the high street, and buses shuttle from along both Coldharbour and the high street all night. The newer half of the building, with its smoked-glass roofing, joins the building to the Brixton public library. The older, more ornate half, sits on the corner among the clubs and bars and fast-food joints, like a gussied-up old Victorian aunt at a rave.

Crowd scene: While the hip, nerdy staff and the strong presence of lumberjack shirts and vintage floral dresses can make this seem like a bit of a joint for the young and pretentious, the Ritzy makes an admirable and fairly successful effort to serve the whole community. This keeps it from being just a hipster island, with a strong roster of Black film and events, for example – in 2009 director Lee Daniels showed up for his film Precious, Chris Rock put in an appearance for his documentary Good Hair, and Tyler Perry and Janet Jackson paid a visit for Why Did I Get Married Too?. Meanwhile, the Glyndebourne live stream brings in the over-50s, while the more arthouse choices and documentaries appeal to the film buffs. Brixton's many communities might move in different orbits but this is a place where they genuinely mix, from people who find themselves seeing The Taqwacores out of curiosity to regulars at the cafe who nip in for a latte and end up enjoying the special premiere for new online Black family sitcom Meet the Adebanjos, held in June this year.

Back story: Enough to fill a novel. Founded in 1911 as the Electric Pavilion, in the grand local tradition of naming things Electric-something, it was initially a classic silent film theatre, complete with organ, which moved into sound in 1929. But the cinema really gained its reputation following its brief closure in 1976, when a group of locals led by Pat Foster teamed up with the council to reopen it as an arts cinema called the Little Bit Ritzy. It became a political and cultural hub, showing documentaries on Angela Davis and holding discussions following films on Latin American politics, LGBT rights, feminism and environmental causes – so much so that the general manager, Clare Binns, placed an ad in a local paper in the 1980s reminding customers that not all the films were "leftwing or gay".

After it became a five-screen cinema, the Ritzy began to show more mainstream fare, acknowledging that audiences wanted entertainment too. It also opened a cafe and bar, making it the first arthouse multiplex in the UK, whose open-mic and music nights host local bands and cheap-as-chips Edinburgh previews. Now owned by City Screen Ltd, and part of the the Arts Picturehouse chain (and thus not as rambunctiously political as it presumably was when it was screening Fidel Castro's 1981 speech at the Union Congress in Havana, it still makes an admirable effort to show politically engaging films. Recently it has hosted a live Q&A following screenings of financial-crash documentary Inside Job, as well as a Human Rights Watch international film festival including discussions with Shami Chakrabarti and Will Self.

During the 1981 riots, Pat Foster slept in the cinema over the weekend to guard the sound system and speakers, but the place was untouched. Similarly, in the recent looting, the place suffered no damage. "A few kids ran in and tried to knock things over," explains manager Jemma, "but our security guard was great – he just reasoned with them and they left. They went to Foot Locker instead."

Show business: The Ritzy shows a mixture of the mainstream, arthouse and political – although increasingly tending towards the mainstream. However, it continues to innovate, with live-stream high culture a popular new enterprise. The Bolshoi ballet, Glyndebourne and Metropolitan Opera have now all been beamed into Windrush Square from around the world. Still a cut above the local Odeon, with Japanese cartoons and documentaries on the Irish Traveller community, French meditations on socialism and special seasons of classics for cinephiles all showing alongside Cowboys & Aliens and One Day in the August-September season this year.

Parental guidance: Kids' events abound. The Big Scream, on Fridays, is for mums and babies, while the weekly Saturday morning Kids' Clubs show a suitable film and follow it up with puppet-making, drawing and treasure hunts on the film's theme.

Senior service: All pensioners get a pound off on tickets as well as discounts on membership.

Tickets: £10 for a single adult ticket, £6 for a child. Students, Income Support and pensioners pay £9, while a family (or groups of families) of four pays £7 per person. To those always-excluded families of five: fear not, you pay just £6.20 per person.

Camera fodder: The adjoining cafe and bar serve meals, coffee, beer and wine, so you can enjoy a full dinner before the show if you're so inclined. Snacks-wise, there are big bags of sweeties for £2.70, popcorn and fizzy drinks, plus slightly more upmarket offerings of elderflower cordial and similar fancy juices, as well as tubs of organic ice-cream for between £2 and £2.50.

Medium popcorn and drink: A fairly steep £6.50. But have the ice-cream instead; it's good.

Alcohol: Admirably civilised, you can bring a glass of wine or pint from the bar into your film as long as you transfer it into plastic cups. A glass of wine costs around £3.50-4.25, while a bottle of beer is £3.30-3.80.

Auditorium: The surviving original screen is Screen 1, sumptuous with red velvet curtains and intricate decorations. A few of the other screens are fairly workaday, but Screen 5 upstairs has lazy-boy chairs and ice buckets for special occasions.

Projection: Every screen now has digital projectors, and several cater to 3D showings and satellite streams. This does not prevent the cinema from, endearingly, occasionally showing the film upside-down or with no sound, requiring some responsible soul to go and sort it out with the friendly ushers. They also tend to wait to start the film if a large pre-booked group are late, a bit like a plane before take-off.

Disabled access: The front foyer is fully accessible for wheelchairs, if often rather crowded, and Screen 5 upstairs can be accessed via a lift, while the other four are ground-floor. There are at least two wheelchair spaces in each of the auditoriums, but they are in the front row. Guide dogs are welcome – in fact, one regular is concerned his is getting fat because the staff keep feeding it. There is one disabled loo on the ground floor, in the main corridor.

Events: Many. The cinema frequently hosts Q&As following films, as well as festivals such as its month-long series of teen-themed foreign films. It hosts events for good causes too, in a nod to its old political leanings, including a festival this summer (27-29 August 2011) for international charity Plan. Coming up is a season of high art: Saturdays and Sundays throughout October and November the cinema is streaming performances from the Met Opera and Bolshoi ballet. Also, the bar is famous for its classy, friendly speed-dating events, both gay and straight, as well as music evenings with local bands and eclectic themes, so you can come to see a film and head upstairs for more fun afterwards.

Toilets: Clean and big, but still not enough to prevent a crush after popular showings.

Facilities: Cafe and bar serving food, coffee and alcohol; a roof terrace and tables outside in the summer months. The front foyer tends to get very crowded, so it's a good idea to meet your friends outside in the square.

Staff: Friendly, chatty and knowledgable nerds. Many work part-time while they study, act or work in lighting or production.

Pros: The Ritzy still includes politics, culture and variety in its roster of films. While tensions and debates abound over whether Brixton is gentrifying or changing beyond all recognition, it remains a touchstone for anyone who has ever lived there, doing its best to survive and serve in tumultuous times. And it has one of those old-fashioned hoardings with the white letters.

Cons: Slightly pricey snacks and drinks. Many will be disappointed it's not as fiercely independent as it once was.

Top tip: Check if your chosen film is being shown as part of a special screening – the Ritzy is fantastic for holding post-film Q&As or discussions with actors, directors and critics, which makes even a casual visit more enriching. And, if you're local, why not become a member? For £33 you get three free films, £2 off your subsequent tickets and 10% off your food and drink, plus discounts on local restaurants, Art Fund memberships and satellite film channels. Also, seriously, it's good ice-cream.